Dan
2013-05-29 10:06:15 UTC
http://skep.li/1axIvtb
By state political reporter Sarah Gerathy
Updated 1 hour 51 minutes ago
The New South Wales Health Minister, Jillian Skinner, has told State
Parliament the Health Care Complaints Commission is launching an
investigation into the anti-immunisation group, the Australian
Vaccination Network.
The announcement came after the Opposition raised concerns that the AVN
was using its Facebook page to encourage parents to join up to a
religion, in order to avoid new State Government vaccination laws.
The laws mean unimmunised children will not be able to enrol at child
care centres unless their parents have obtained a formal exemption from
a GP, and childcare centres that enrol unvaccinated children could be
fined up to $4,000.
This morning the AVN posted a message on its Facebook page, encouraging
members to join a religion in order to gain exemption from the new
vaccination laws the State Government announced yesterday.
The post suggested parents could qualify on religious grounds by joining
the 'Church of Conscious Living'.
The Opposition's Dr Andrew McDonald raised the issue in Question Time.
"Minister, what steps will you take to close this loophole?" he said.
After her initial answer, The Health Minister Jillian Skinner later
returned to give this update.
"I'm advised that the Health Care Complaints Commission will be
launching an investigation into the AVN," she said.
If passed, the new vaccination laws come into effect next January.
By state political reporter Sarah Gerathy
Updated 1 hour 51 minutes ago
The New South Wales Health Minister, Jillian Skinner, has told State
Parliament the Health Care Complaints Commission is launching an
investigation into the anti-immunisation group, the Australian
Vaccination Network.
The announcement came after the Opposition raised concerns that the AVN
was using its Facebook page to encourage parents to join up to a
religion, in order to avoid new State Government vaccination laws.
The laws mean unimmunised children will not be able to enrol at child
care centres unless their parents have obtained a formal exemption from
a GP, and childcare centres that enrol unvaccinated children could be
fined up to $4,000.
This morning the AVN posted a message on its Facebook page, encouraging
members to join a religion in order to gain exemption from the new
vaccination laws the State Government announced yesterday.
The post suggested parents could qualify on religious grounds by joining
the 'Church of Conscious Living'.
The Opposition's Dr Andrew McDonald raised the issue in Question Time.
"Minister, what steps will you take to close this loophole?" he said.
After her initial answer, The Health Minister Jillian Skinner later
returned to give this update.
"I'm advised that the Health Care Complaints Commission will be
launching an investigation into the AVN," she said.
If passed, the new vaccination laws come into effect next January.